


Mentor

by wynnebat



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Hogwarts Third Year, Manipulation, Mentors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-13
Updated: 2014-12-13
Packaged: 2018-03-21 22:41:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3706539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wynnebat/pseuds/wynnebat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Lucius has an idea and poor Harry gains an unwanted mentor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mentor

"I just don't know what to do with the boy!" a disgruntled voice cried, and the plump, stocky owner of the voice-Cornelius Fudge-waddled into the room. He dropped himself onto the dark purple chair behind the desk of the minister of magic and scowled.

Lucius had once wanted that desk for himself. He'd wanted the power and the glory, wanted the Malfoy name to be in the minds of everyone as the most powerful surname in the country. But now that he wasn't a brash twenty-something-and had known Fudge for almost two decades, he understood that the real power wasn't in the one sitting in the minister's chair. The power lied in the one across from it, during the times when the minister met with his most trusted adviser. Lucius could enact all the change he wanted (within reason, unfortunately, because as dark-leaning as Fudge was, the Wizengamot was still headed by Dumbledore and his meddlesome fools) from the comfort of this chair. Which meant that he didn't glare at Fudge for bringing his personal feelings into the office. He simply said, "Oh?"

"You probably don't want to hear about this," Fudge said apologetically. Before Lucius could reply, he added, "But I am most vexed. Most vexed! First it was the dementors on the train who almost killed him. Then they got loose and attacked him on the Quidditch pitch! The Quidditch pitch of all things! It's supposed to be safe."

"Just like we're supposed to have control of the dementors," Lucius murmured.

"Exactly!" Fudge's face began to turn a very displeasing shade of red. "How was I to know that they have some sort of grudge against him? And all of this is after he ran away from home this summer."

Lucius carefully lifted an eyebrow. This he hadn't heard about. And he'd been very carefully to put himself in a position where he heard everything. "Really?" he asked, his voice not betraying the curiosity he felt-and the small thread of anxiety, because Fudge was supposed to trust him completely. Many of his political plans simply would not work if Fudge didn't trust him.

Fudge grunted and looked a little ashamed. "My apologies, Lucius. The boy... he blew up his aunt this summer, like a children's balloon. We're just glad she didn't pop before the Obliviators came to undo it and erase her memories. She wasn't immediate family, of course."

"Of course."

"He fled the scene like any other no-gooder, and ended up in the Leaky. I had a small talk with him, and decided his poor relatives probably needed some time-not that I thought he'd stay there if I dropped him off. So I allowed him to spend the rest of the summer there. Tom, however, was insistent that I didn't, ah, tell you. He had some fears, you see, and Dumbledore backed him up..."

Lucius let a dark look cross his face. For a man like Fudge, it would only look like he was deeply grieved. "I'm still punished by some for my actions under the Imperius," he said, sadly.

Fudge was quick to assure him that he'd put Tom straight in moments, but Tom still wanted his word. And his word was oh so important.

"And he was never reprimanded for it? Nor punished?" Lucius eventually asked.

"No," Fudge replied. "It was- It all happened so quickly. I should've..."

"No, it would've looked bad, coming from you," Lucius said, thoughtful.

Fudge smiled. "I'm glad you agree. I don't know what I'd do without you, to guide me in this dragon's den."

"Politics are a very surly beast," Lucius replied, and Fudge looked tickled at the metaphor. It was all his feeble brains could handle, Lucius thought. Even with so many years of hard work, it was a precarious thing to make sure Fudge stayed in office, and didn't blunder too often. It was Lucius' good luck that Fudge enjoyed taking help from him (Fudge had been a Hufflepuff, and assumed that the word worked smoothly because of cooperation and hard work; this did not extend to muggles or muggleborns) and was only adamant about a few things. "But I see Potter is still a bother."

"A very bothersome one," Fudge said, sighing. "I just don't know what to do about him! The public loves him, and I know it will be my head if he gets himself killed on one of his foolish stunts."

"And more security doesn't seem to be doing any good..." Lucius said, thinking a thousand thoughts as he spoke. There was an advantage here that could be pressed, if only he knew what exactly to take advantage of.

"They only seem to get him into more trouble," Fudge replied mournfully. Then, he took out a pastry from the first drawer from his desk, and attempted to eat his troubles away.

Before Fudge's mood could lighten, Lucius reminded him that, "Dumbledore isn't keeping him safe either."

Fudge choked down his pastry. "No. I don't know what that man is thinking. First hiring that Quirrel, about whom I got so many letters asking me to intervene and force someone competent to teach, then Lockhart, who people loved and then somehow blamed me for letting him get addled, then Lupin, who I swear there's something off about."

It's the fact that he turns into a vicious blood-lusting monster once a month, Lucius thought but didn't say. He might still need that little fact in the future, to maneuver Fudge into a position where he couldn't trust anyone at that damn school. Because an idea was coming to Lucius, and he was going to grasp it. It was strikingly Gryffindorish, for him to propose something without planning, but Lucius didn't know when Fudge would be in such a perfect mood again.

"There is something you can do," he said, and smiled inwardly at the way Fudge turned his way, his beady eyes lit up with hope. "My father-" a man who Fudge had admired greatly "-had the idea of introducing a mentorship program at Hogwarts, to teach students about the outside world."

Fudge nodded slowly, a confused expression on his face.

"Your problem is discipline, is it not? The boy is too unrestrained, too wild."

"That's exactly it."

"So why not have someone teach him the ways of the world? Someone who could protect him from his own idiocy, because Dumbledore sure doesn't seem to be doing it." Lucius' breath caught as Fudge gave the idea great thought.

"I could-" Fudge began, but soon he shook his head. "No, I haven't the time."

"Perhaps Amelia?"

"She's too damn busy, with Black on the loose." Fudge thought about the matter, and soon enough his eyes rested on Lucius. "Would you...?"

"Well," Lucius said.

"You're the only one I could trust for such a grave matter," Fudge pleaded, leaning in to attempt to be even more convincing. "If I could count on you, I wouldn't ever have to worry about the boy again."

"You can always count on me," Lucius said, and smiled.

Fudge matched it. "I'll draft the papers tonight, and find people to take on the rest of his yearmates. We wouldn't want to make it too obvious, would we."

"Of course not," Lucius said, and excused himself. He had a plan to make, and a boy-who-lived's influence to ponder.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Complete; no sequel planned.


End file.
